Portable steam bath



Nov. 21, 1961 'r. c. WASHAM'ETAL PORTABLE STEAM BATH 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1960 mmvroxs THOMAS c.wAs|-|AK4 Rosem- W.BEACHLEY ATTORNEYS 1961 T. c. WASHAM ET AL 3,009,165

PORTABLE STEAM BATH Filed Dec. 15, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS,

THOMAS C.WASHAM F IG. 5 ROBERT w. BEACHLEY ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1961 T. c. WASHAM ETAL 3,009,165

PORTABLE STEAM BATH Filed Dec. 15, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet a Zaieri 3. 39410 Z6 BY g H E K 5 7 ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1961 T. c. WASHAM ET AL 3,009,165

PORTABLE STEAM BATH Filed Dec. 15, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR5 i/ 75/ BY {MI/7% ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1961 T. c. WASHAM ET AL PORTABLE STEAM BATH 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 15, 1960 ATTORNEYS nite tte free 3,009,165 PORTABLE STEAM BATH Thomas C. Washarn and Robert W. Beachley, Charlotte, N.C., assignors to Ernest Azer, (Charlotte, N.C. Filed Dec. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 76,064 11 Claims. (Cl. 4-164) The present invention relates to a portable steam bath and more particularly to a cabinet for a steam bath to be used in conjunction with a portable source of steam.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 849,784, filed October 30, 1959, now abandoned.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cabinet which can be folded or knocked down for storage or for movement from room to room. The cabinet is so constructed that a person desiring to take a steam bath can easily assemble the cabinet and take a steam bath without any assistance from another person. Furthermore, the cabinet is so constructed that it may be used in any room of a house, hotel or motel without requiring any necessary precautions to prevent wetting of the floor.

More particularly, according to one aspect of the invention, the steam bath comprises a vertical cabinet having a hinged closure in the front thereof, the top of the cabinet being defined by a pair of flaps, the flaps defining between them a neck receiving opening, and a bottom pan in which the cabinet is positioned. The bottom pan comprises a panel having an upwardly directed peripheral flange so that the panel forms a liquid receiving pan. When the cabinet is positioned in the pan, the flange surrounds the lower portion of the cabinet so that liquid condensate within the cabinet flows into the pan to keep the liquid off of the floor.

The steam within the cabinet is supplied by means of a portable source of steam such a a standard household vaporizer. This eliminates the need for any plumbing connections and, therefore, the steam bath can be set up wherever desired.

According to one modification of the present invention, the steam bath comprises a pair of opposed side panels, a back panel interconnecting the side panels so that said panels define a cabinet having a front opening, a pair of doors closing said opening, each door being hingedly connected to one of said side panels with the free ends of the doors meeting generally centrally of said opening, the top of the cabinet being closed by a pair of flaps, each flap being hingedly connected to the top of each side panel, each flap having a cut-out on its free edge, said cut-outs defining the neck receiving opening. The side panels are hingedly connected to the back panel to permit the cabinet to be folded for storage or transportation. In this form of the invention, the hinges are preferably piano hinges to minimize loss of steam from the interior of the cabinet. In order to simplify folding of the cabinet, the hinges connecting the back panel and side panels are so constructed that when the cabinet is folded, one of said side panels is on each side of the back panel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the bottom pan, the back panel and all the other panels are secured to each other, the joints being articulated in such a manner that the cabinet may be folded into a compact, fiat unit wherein all the panels are received within the pan with the back panel serving as a cover for the pan. According to this construction, there are no loose or separate members which must be assembled when the cabinet is unfolded in order to be used as a steam bath. The only separate elements would be the source of steam which may be a portable source of steam such as a household vaporizer and, according to one construction, a seat for the occupant to sit in.

According to this latter aspect of the invention, the back panel is hingedly secured to the pan so that the pan acts as a receptacle for the panels defining the cabinet with the back panel forming a closure for the receptacle. The side panels and the top panel are hingedly mounted on the back panel and are so mounted that they may slidingly move in a direction parallel to the back panel in order to permit the cabinet to be folded and received within the pan in a manner as will be hereinafter described.

In each of the modifications of the present invention, in order to provide rigidity for the cabinet, each of the panels, doors, etc. are rigid and may be made from any desirable material but are preferably made from plastic, the plastic having an internal reinforcement and/or an external reinforcement in the form of a rigid frame.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable steam bath which can be assembled or moved by one person.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable steam bath having a cabinet composed of rigid panels which cabinet may be folded or disassembled for storage and which does not require the use of a fixed source of steam.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable steam bath which may be used in any location and which does not require any fixed or special plumbing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable steam cabinet in combination with a bottom pan for receiving liquid condensate from the steam bath.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable steam bath which includes a pan for receiving liquid condensate from the steam bath, the various members defining the cabinet being so constructed that the entire assembly may be knocked down or folded and positioned in the pan so that said pan defines a receptacle receiving and storing the remaining elements of the steam cabinet.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the assembled steam cabinet with a portion cut away to show the portable steam generator in the interior thereof.

FIG. 2 shows the cabinet of FIG. 1 in the process of being folded for storage.

FIG. 3 shows the cabinet in a further stage of the foldmg.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1 showing the resilient bead around the neck opening in the top of the cabinet.

FIG. 5 is a perspective View of the pan in which the cabinet is positioned during use.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section showing a modified method of joining a side panel to the back panel.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified steam cabinet showing the cabinet in its assembled or unfolded condition ready for use.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal cross-section taken along the line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross-section taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 7 showing in detail the upper hinge means for securing the side wall to the rear wall.

FIG, 11 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-section taken along the line 1111 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 1212 of FIG. 10 and illustrates the sliding movement of the side wall and top closure relative to the back wall.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 9 showing the bottom hinge.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, showing in detail the construction of the seals of the side wall and top closure of the modification of FIG. 7.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view showing the steam cabinet of FIG. 7 in the folded position.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary cross-section taken along the line 1616 of FIG. 7 showing the means for slidably supporting the closure for the neck receiving opening.

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the modification of FIG. 7 in a partially folded position.

FIG. 18 is a further diagrammatic view showing a further step in the folding of the cabinet of FIG. 7.

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view showing a still further step in the folding of the cabinet of FIG. 7.

FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic cross-section of the modification of FIG. 7 in a folded position immediately before the rear wall closes the entire assembly. FIG. 20 shows the folded cabinet in the position immediately before that shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 21 is a diagrammatic vertical cross-section showing the modification of the cabinet in FIG. 7 wherein a folding seat is built into the cabinet.

According to the modification of FIGS. 1-5, the steam bath of the present invention comprises a vertical cabinet 10, a bottom pan 11 and a portable steam generator 12. The steam generator 12 may be any portable source of steam and is preferably a standard household vaporizer which contains its own supply of water and an electrical heater for vaporizing the water. The generator has an electrical cord (not shown) which is plugged into any available electrical convenience outlet.

The cabinet comprises a pair of opposed side panels 13 and 14 interconnected with a back panel 15. According to the preferred construction, side panel 14 is connected to back panel 15 by means of a hinge such as piano hinge 16 and side panel 13 is connected to back panel 15 by another piano hinge 17.

To close the front opening of the cabinet there are provided a pair of doors 18 and 19 hinged to side panels 14 and 13 by hinges 20 and 21 respectively, the free ends of the doors 18 and 19 meeting at 22 generally centrally of the front opening, a latch 23 being provided on the interior of the doors to maintain the doors in the closed position.

The top of the cabinet is closed by a pair of flaps 24 and 25, the flaps being hingedly connected to side panels 14 and 13 by means of hinges 26 and 27 respectively. Flaps and 24 are provided with cut-outs 28 and 29 respectively on the free edges of the flaps, the two cutouts being opposed so that between them there is defined a neck receiving opening.

Along the edge of the cut-out (see FIG. 4) there may be provided a gasket 30 so that the edge of the cut-out will not hurt the neck of the person taking a steam bath. Gasket 30 may be formed by longitudinally slitting plastic tubing and inserting the edge of the cut-out within the slit as shown in FIG. 4.

Preferably, all the panels, doors and flaps are made of rigid or substantially rigid material. For example, each of these members may be made of a synthetic organic plastic such as polymethylmethacrylate or may be made from fiber glass reinforced polyester resins. Alternatively, such semi-rigid plastics such as polyethylene, nylon or polyvinyl chloride may be used. In the event that the plastic does not have sufficient rigidity to effect suflrcient stability, rigid moldings (not shown) of aluminum or other metals may be used to impart rigidity to the doors, panels and flaps. Although the preferred materials for making the cabinet are organic plastics, metal or wood may be used.

The hinges may be made integral with the various members or they may be made of difierent materials and secured to the panels, doors and flaps in any conventional manner.

The cabinet and hinges are preferably so constructed that the cabinet can be folded as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In other words, hinges 20 and 21 permit the doors 18 and 19 to be folded inwardly while hinges 26 and 27 permit the flaps to be folded outwardly. Hinges 16 and 17 permit the side panels and the back panel to be folded in a zig-zag manner as shown in FIG. 3 with one side panel being on one side of the back panel and the other side panel being on the other side of the back panel. This construction enables the cabinet to be easily folded into a minimum space without requiring any unusual hinge construction.

When the cabinet is to be unfolded, it is opened up first to the position shown in FIG. 3 and then to the position shown in FIG. 2. In order to impart further rigidity to the cabinet and to maintain the top flaps in position, each flap is provided with at least one sliding bolt 31, said bolt moving in a plane parallel to the plane of the flaps and parallel to the hinges securing the flaps to the side panels.

Notches 32 are provided along the upper edge of the back panel 15 and the doors 1% and 19 for receiving the bolts 31 in the extended position. When the cabinet is completely assembled with the doors in the locked position as shown in FIG. '1, the bolts 31 are received in the notches 32 and the cabinet is ready for use.

The pan 11 comprises a panel having an upwardly directed peripheral flange 33. When the cabinet is to be used, the pan is placed on the floor with the flange directed upwardly and the cabinet is placed within the pan as shown in FIG. 1 with the flange surrounding the bottom of the cabinet. The portable steam generator 12 is placed within the cabinet and a stool or chair (not shown) is also placed within the cabinet.

The cabinet is entered by means of doors 18 and 19 and the person taking a steam bath is seated on the stool with his neck positioned in the neck receiving opening, his head being on the outside of the cabinet above the flaps. The steam generator is turned on and steam is generated within the cabinet. Any liquid condensate which forms will run down the sides of the cabinet and be collected within pan 11.

At the termination of the steam bath, the cabinet is folded as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. To simplify the storage problems, the pan is so dimensioned that the folded cabinet can be positioned within the pan and held therein by means of straps 34 cooperating with snaps or other fastening members 35. The pan 11 may be made of the same material of which the panels, flaps and doors are constructed. A carrying handle 36 may be provided.

Optionally, instead of hinging the side panels to the back panel, these panels may be secured to each other by means of channel locking members 37 and 33, as shown in FIG. 6. One such channel member 37 is secured to the edge of the back panel 15a and the other channel member is secured to the side panel 13a. The channels of these members are so constructed that member 38 can be slidingly inserted in member 37 by means of relative longitudinal movement. Once the two members are interengaged, panel 13a is maintained at approximately 90 relative to panel 15a. Although this construction produces a more stable cabinet it has the disadvantage that it is more difficult to assemble and disassemble. However, the choice of the manner of connecting the panels is dependent upon the most desirable structure which is preferred by the user or manufacturer.

By way of example, the cabinet is 40 high, 32 from front to back and 28" from side to side. The pan Iii may be approximately 34" x 42 with the flange extending upwardly between /2" and 1 /2.

It is apparent that when the bolts 31 are in the outwardly extending position, extending over the upper edges of the doors and back panel, said bolts constitute outwardly extending abutment means which serves to maintain the flaps in position and to rigidify the cabinet.

It is apparent from the previous description that in the modifications of FIGS. l6, the pan 11 is a separate entity from the remainder of the cabinet and is not in any way secured to the remainder of the cabinet. Although, when folded, the cabinet can be positioned within the pan to form a compact package for transporting the steam bath, it is apparent that it would be more desirable to provide a steam bath wherein all the parts are secured to each other. Such a modification is shown in FIGS. 7-2l. In this modification there is again provided a pan i which comprises a bottom panel 51 having an upwardly directed peripheral flange 52 in order to maintain the condensate within the pan.

The rear panel 53 is hingedly secured by means of hinge 54 to the upper edge of the rear portion 55 of the flange 52. The rear panel 53 is free to rotate about hinge 54 in the direction indicated by the arrow 56 as shown in FIG. 8 until the upper edge 57 of the rear panel meets the upper edge 58 of the front portion 59 of the peripheral flange. In this position, the back panel '53 forms a closure for the pan 5t? as is apparent in FIG. 15.

The front portion 59 of the peripheral flange and the upper edge 57 of the back panel are provided with interengaging clasp members 6% and 61 so that the back panel will be maintained in a closed portion when the cabinet is to be stored or transported. The clasps 60 and 61 may be of any conventional design.

Side panels 62 and 63 are hingedly secured to the back panel 53 by means of lOwer hinges generally indicated by the reference numeral 64 and upper hinges generally indicated by numeral 65. These hinges permit the side panels 62 and '63 to be rotated toward each other in the direction indicated by arrows 66 and 67 respectively.

Front panels 68 and 69 are hingedly secured to the forward edge of side panels 62 and 63 by hinges 70 and 71 respectively. The front pmiels 68 and 69 provide front doors for entry into the steam cabinet. These doors 68 and 69 overlap at their free edges as indicated at 72 in order to close the front of the cabinet.

Side panels 62 and 63 define the spaced apart side walls of the cabinet. The side walls are mounted on the rear panel or wall 53 so that the side walls can rotate or pivot as indicated by the arrows 66 and 67 (see FIG. 9). In other words, the side walls 62 and 63 are pivotally mounted for movement from a position wherein they are substantially perpendicular to the rear Wall to a position wherein they are substantially parallel to the rear wall.

FIG. 9 shows by dotted lines 62' and 63 the position of panels 62 and 63 when they are folded to be substantially parallel to the rear wall. Side walls '62 and 63 in addition to being pivotally mounted on the rear wall as described above, are also mounted thereon for sliding movement in a direction Parallel to the rear wall. In other words, referring to FIG. 8, which shows the rear wall 53 in the vertical position, the side walls are mounted for sliding movement in an upward and downward direction. 7

The purpose of this sliding movement will be explained hereinafter.

Although separate means may be provided for pivotally supporting the side walls and for slidingly supporting the side walls, in the preferred construction both of these movements are provided for by hinge means 64 and 65. Referring to the top hinge means 65, this comprises a lower hinge plate 65a and an upper spaced apart hinge plate 65b both of which are secured to a side wall.

In FIGS. 8, 10 and 12 hinge plates 65a and 65b are shown secured to side wall 63. The construction of the hinge means will be explained in detail in connection with one side wall 63 but it is understood that a corresponding hinge means construction is provided on side wall 62. A third hinge plate 65c is secured to the back panel 53. Each of the hinge plates has a longitudinal opening therethrough, the longitudinal openings being aligned so that a hinge pin 65d may pass through the openings of each of the hinge plates. It is apparent that the construction of members 65a, 65b, 65c, and 65d pivotally secure side wall 63 to back wall 53.

Referring particularly to FIG. 8, hinge plate 65a is spaced apart from hinge plate 65b a distance greater than the length of hinge plate 65c to expose between the upper edge of hinge plate 65a and the lower edge of hinge plate 650 a section of hinge pin 65d. Because of this space between the lower edge of plate 650 and plate 65a, when a vertical force is applied to side panel 63, hinge plates 65a and 65b can vertically slide with hinge pin 65d until the top edge of plate 65a abuts the bottom edge of plate 65c. This permits the vertical sliding movement of side wall 63 relative to back wall 53.

Hinge pin 65d has an upper portion 65e substantially at right angles to the vertical portion of the pin which is received in plates 65a and 65b and 650. The horizontal portion 65a of the hinge pin passes through an opening in a plate 65 to which, as will be hereinafter described, the top closure member for the cabinet is secured.

It is, therefore, apparent that when side panel '63 is moved from the lower position to the upper position, hinge plate 65b will, because of the bend 65g, in the hinge pin, also move the hinge pin including the horizontal portion 65e upwardly thereby also raising plate 65 to the upper position. In FIG. 12 the hinge plates 65b and 65] and hinge pin are shown in the lower position by solid lines and in the upper position by dotted lines.

The bottom portion of the side wall 63 is secured to the rear panel 53 by hinge means 641 having the same basic construction as hinge means 65. Hinge means 64 includes spaced apart hinge plates 64a and 64b secured to the side panel 63 and also includes hinge plate 64c secured to the back wall 53. Again there is provided a space between the lower edge of plate 640 and the upper edge of plate 64a. A hinge pin 64d which passes through the aligned openings of plates 64a, 64b and 64c supports the lower portion of side wall 63 for pivotal movement and sliding movement relative to the back wall 53.

The top closure for the cabinet is preferably constituted by there sections 73, 74 and 75. The rear section '75 has secured thereto hinge plates 651, one of said plates being near side wall 63 and the other of said plates (not shown) being positioned near side wall 62. Since, as previously described, plates 65 are mounted on portion 652 of hinge pin 65d, the rear section 75 of the top closure is supported for vertical movement relative to the back wall 53, said vertical movement being eifected when the side walls 62 and 63 are slid vertically relative to the back wall 53. It, therefore, can be said that the rear section 75 is mounted on the rear wall for sliding move ment parallel to the rear wall. This is true although rear section 75 is not directly mounted on the rear wall but indirectly mounted by means of the hinge pin and the hinge plates.

Intermediate section 74 is pivotally secured to the rear section 75 by means of hinge 76 so that the intermediate section 74 is pivotally mounted for angular movement relative to the rear wall 53 and more particularly, movable from the horizontal position as shown in FIGS. 8, l and 14 inter alia to a substantially vertical position as shown in FIG. 19.

The top closure also includes a forward section 73 which is hingedly secured to the forward edge of section 7% by means of hinge 77.

In the preferred construction, side panels 62 and 63 are not rectangular. Instead the upper edge of panel 62 has a substantially horizontal portion 62a and a forwardly and downwardly inclined portion 62b (see FIG. 7). Side wall 63 has a similar shape. The horizontal section 62a is of such a length that hinge 77 normally lies at the point where the upper edge of side wall 62 begins its downward incline. In this manner the lateral edges of the section 74 of the top closure will rest on edge 62a of the side wall when the steam cabinet is in the unfolded assembled position as shown in FIG. 7.

This construction permits the forward section 73 of the top closure to be downwardly and forwardly inclined as shown in FIG. 7 when the cabinet is in the assembled position, section 73 being maintained in this position either by its lateral edges 73a resting upon edge 62b of the side wall or by having the forward edge 73b of section 73 resting upon the top edges 68 and 69 of the front doors.

In the preferred construction, section 74 as well as section 75 are provided with a flange 78 which has at least one and preferably two spaced apart downwardly depending portions 78a and 78b. These downwardly depending portions overlap the upper edge of the side walls and also desirably the upper edges of the front doors in order to form a more complete closure for the cabinet and provide a better steam seal. The cabinet is rigidified because downwardly depending portion 78a prevents outward movement of the side walls and doors and 78b prevents inward movement of the side walls and doors.

It is apparent that when the flange 78 is provided with downwardly depending portions 780 and 78b, the doors cannot be opened until the lid is raised. In addition, in order to limit the outward movement of the front doors 68 and 69, a stop strip 79 may be secured to the bottom panel 51 if desired. The flange 78 and stop strip 79 render the cabinet much more rigid when it is in the unfolded position as shown in FIG. 7.

The top closure is provided with a neck receiving opening 80, the neck receiving opening being defined in two parts. The first part is constituted by a cut-out 31 substantially semi-circular in shape in section 74 of the top closure. The other half of the neck receiving opening 89 is defined by a cut-out 82 in a slidably mounted closure panel 33 mounted in section 73 of the top closure. Sec tion 73 has a rectangular opening 84 and near the edges of the opening there are mounted guide channels 85 which slidably support closure plate 83 for movement parallel to section 73 and for movement in a direction toward and away from hinge 77.

In FIG. 7, plate 83 is shown in the upper position in solid lines whereby cut-outs 81 and 82 together define neck receiving opening 80. Closure plate 83 is shown in the retracted or lower position in dotted lines in FIG. 7. In the preferred construction, the channels 85 are so dimensioned that they frictionally maintain plate 83 in either the upper or lower position. It is apparent that other means can be provided (not shown) to hold the plate 83 in the upper position against the force of gravity.

It will be appreciated that when the steam cabinet is in use, the user will be seated within the cabinet with his head on the outside of the cabinet and his neck at the neck receiving opening. Because of this, in order to avoid a psychological feeling of confinement, the top closure is, as illustrated, preferably downwardly and forwardly inclined.

As stated above, in the preferred construction, the

p a closure plate 83 is maintained in the upper position only by the force of friction in the channels rather than being locked in the upper position.

It is particularly advantageous to have the plate 83 free to move downwardly by the application of a slight downward force. This is desirable because it occasionally happens that the person utilizing the steam bath hecomes fidgety and may shift around on the seat in the steam bath and occasionally slip off the seat. If this should occur, there is a potential danger of the users head being caught in the opening so that he is in effect being hanged. However, in accordance with the illustrated construction, if this should occur, there would be applied a downward force to the closure plate 33 and it would slide downward to release the head of the oceupant from the cabinet.

To minimize escape of steam from the cabinet, there is preferably provided a sealing strip 36 for effecting a seal between section 75 of the top closure and the rear wall. Similarly sealing strips 37 are provided on the side walls. Sealing strip 86 is preferably secured to section 75 and sealing strips 87 are secured to the side walls so that when the side panels slide upwardly, as previously described, the sealing strips move at the same time.

The panels constituting the walls. doors, top closure, etc. may be made of any material but are preferably made from a plastic material such as a fiber glass rcinforced polyester resin. If necessary, additional rigidity can be effected by providing a metal head around each of the individual panels. Such a head is shown in FIG. 14 at 33 on side panel 62 and also at 89 on section 74 of the top closure.

Steam for the cabinet is preferably supplied by a portable steam generator 99 such as a standard household vaporizer and an opening 91 is provided preferably in the side Wall to permit passage of the electric cord 92 of the vaporizer through the cabinet. The electric cord 92 can be plugged into any source of electricity (not shown).

When the cabinet is in the unfolded position, as shown in FIG. 7, the bottom edges of the side panels and front doors rest on the bottom panel 51 and in this position, as clearly shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper edge 57 of the rear wall is spaced apart from the upper surface of section 75. This space is necessary to permit the upward sliding movement of the side panels and the top closure as previously described and as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12.

When the steam cabinet is to be folded to be transported or stored, the top closure is raised as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 17 and the doors 68 and 69 are folded inward. Then one of the side walls, for example, 63 is pivoted inwardly until it is substantially parallel to the rear wall and then the other side wall is similarly pivoted. In FIG. 18, the cabinet is shown with wall 63 parallel to the rear wall and wall 62 being moved in the same direction. Then the top closure is pivoted downwardly about hinge 76 until the top closure is also parallel to the rear wall. This is shown in FIG. 19.

In this position, the bottom edges of the front doors 68 and 69 and the side walls 62 and 63 are all substantially in contact with the upper surface of the bottom panel 51. It will be appreciated that in this position, there are at least four thicknesses of panels, namely, 62, 63, 68 and 69 and all of these rest on the bottom panel 51. Because of the thickness of these panels, it would normally be impossible to rotate Or pivot back will 53 from the position shown in FIG. 19 to the positions shown suecessively in FIGS. 20 and 15. However, because of the sliding mounting of the side walls on the back wall, as the back wall is angularly moved toward the bottom panel, an axial force is applied to the bottom edges of the side panels and front doors, said axial force slidably moving the folded panels toward the upper edge of the rear wall.

In FIG. 20 it is diagrammatically shown how the lower edges of the folded panels are pushed upwardly by contact with the bottom panel. Therefore, as the rear wall is pivoted toward the bottom panel, the folded panels all slide upwardly to provide sufficient clearance to permit complete pivoting of the rear wall on hinge 54 until the upper edge of the rear wall abuts the forward portion of the flange 52 on the bottom panel. In this position, the latch means 60 and 61 can be closed and the cabinet is in position for transportation or storage.

When the cabinet is to be assembled, the order of steps described above is reversed and as the rear wall is raised from the position shown in FIG. 15 to the position shown in FIG. 20 and finally to the position shown in FIG. 19, the folded side panels and front doors will slide downwardly until their bottom edges contact the upper'sur-face of the bottom panel. Then the folding proceeds as shown in FIGS. 18 and 17.

Before the occupant enters the cabinet, the portable steam generator is inserted therein and the seat is also inserted for the occupant.

According to the modification shown diagrammatically in FIG. 21, an adjustable seat may be built into the cabinet. This seat comprises laterally spaced apart supports, each support comprising a rod 92 pivotally secured at 94 to the rear wall of the cabinet. The other end of the rod 93 is pivotally secured to transverse rod 95.

Spaced apart vertical supporting rods 96 are also provided, the upper ends of rods 96 are also pivotally mounted on transverse rod 95 while the lower ends of rod 96 are each removably inserted in sockets 97 in the bottom panel 51a. The seat itself comprises flexible material such as a heavy canvas or similar material 98, one end of which is mounted on transverse rod 95 and the other end of which is mounted on a second transverse rod 99. A plurality of vertically aligned hooks 100 are provided on the rear wall 53a for supporting transverse rod 99 at the desired height for the convenience of the occupant.

In this modification, when the steam cabinet is to be folded, the rods 96 are removed from their sockets 97 so that rods 96 and transverse rod 95 can be folded against the rear wall and in this manner not interfere with the folding of the remainder of the cabinet.

Referring again to FIG. 9, this figure shows how the front closure doors 68 and 69 can be swung from their normal position parallel to the rear wall to their forward position parallel to side walls 62 and 63. Reference numerals 68 and 6? indicate the folded positions of doors 68 and 69 respectively, as shown by dotted lines. This figure also shows in dotted lines, indicated by 68" and 69", the final position of the front doors immediately before pivoting the rear wall downward to close the steam bath in the folded condition.

The rear wall is preferably provided with a flange 101 which overlaps the upper edge of the peripheral flange of the pan when the unit is in the folded position. The strap 102 may optionally be provided to assist in transporting the cabinet in the folded position.

In the previous description of section 75 it was referred to as part of the top closure. More accurately speaking, section 75 can be considered part of the mounting means for the top closure, the top closure actually being sections 73 and 74. Therefore, a hinge 76 pivotally supports the top closure (comprising panels 73 and 74-) for angular movement whereinthe top closure extends in a direction away from the rear wall to a position wherein the top closure extends in a direction away from the rear wall to a position wherein the top closure is substantially parallel to the rear wall. Section 75, therefore, not only comprises a mounting means for the top closure but also spaces the rear edge of the top closure, that is, the rear edge of section 74 away from the rear wall sufficiently to provide room to accommodate the remaining parts of the cabinet when they are in the folded position.

When the cabinet is in the unfolded position, as indicated in FIG. 7, the bottom edges of the side walls and the front closure are received within the peripheral flange of the bottom pan and, therefore, any condensate which forms within the cabinet will drain into the pan and be contained therein.

From the previous description it is apparent that the modification shown in FIGS. 7-21 illustrates a form of the invention where all the walls or panels and closures are secured to each other and the bottom pan in such a manner that the cabinet can be folded into a compact folded unit wherein the walls and closures are parallel to each other with the folded unit being positioned within the pan and the rear Wall forming a closure for the pan.

Broadly, according to this modification, there is provided a portable foldable steam bath comprising a vertical cabinet defined by a rear wall, spaced apart side Walls, a top closure and a front closure, a bottom panel having an upwardly directed peripheral flange, said panel defining a pan for receiving liquid condensate formed within said cabinet, means securing the bottom of said rear wall to said pan near the rear thereof, said means pivotally securing the rear wall to the pan for angular movement of the rear wall from an upright position to a generally horizontal position, mounting means securing each side panel to the rear wall, said mounting means pivotally supporting each of said side walls for angular movement from a position wherein the side walls are substantially perpendicular to said rear wall to a position wherein said side Walls are substantially parallel to said rear wall, means securing said top closure to the rear wall for angular movement from a position wherein said top closure extends in a direction away from the rear wall to a position wherein said top closure is substantially parallel to said rear wall, the front closure being pivotally secured to the side walls for angular movement from a position wherein said front closure is substantially perpendicular to the side walls to a position wherein said front closure is substantially parallel to said side walls, said walls and closures thereby being secured to each other so that said cabinet can be folded into a compact folded unit wherein said walls and closures are substantially parallel to each other, said folded unit being receivable within said pan, said top closure having a neck receiving opening therethrough.

According to the preferred construction, the side Walls and the top closure are slidably supported on the rear wall so that when the cabinet is in the opened position, the side walls will rest on the bottom of the pan and so that when the cabinet is in the folded position, the side walls and the top closure can be slid upwardly to provide clearance permitting the entire folded unit to be positioned in the pan with the rear wall forming a closure for the pan.

Preferably, the sliding mounting and the hinged mounting of the various elements are accomplished by a unique hinge assembly identified generally by reference numerals 64 and 65 in the drawings. It is apparent that variations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the concept of the invention as set forth in the claims.

We claim:

1. A portable foldable steam bath comprising a vertical cabinet defined by a rear wall, spaced apart side walls, a top closure and a front closure, a bottom panel having an upwardly directed peripheral flange, said panel defining a pan for receiving liquid condensate formed within said cabinet, means securing the bottom of said rear wall to said pan near the rear thereof, said means pivotally securing the rear wall to the pan for angular movement of the rear wall from an upright position to a generally horizontal position, mounting means securing each side panel to the rear wall, said mounting .means pivotally supporting each of said side Walls for angular movement from a position wherein the side walls are substantially perpendicular to said rear wall to a position wherein said side walls are substantially parallel to said rear wall, means securing said top closure to the rear wall for angular movement from a position wherein said top closure extends in a direction away from the rear wall to a position wherein said top closure is substantially parallel to said rear wall, the front closure being pivotally secured to the side walls for angular movement from a position wherein said front closure is substantially perpendicular to the side walls to a position wherein said front closure is substantially parallel to said side walls, said side walls resting on the bottom of said pan when said steam cabinet is in the unfolded condition, said walls and closures thereby being secured to each other so that said cabinet can be folded into a compact folded unit wherein said walls and closures are substantially parallel to each other, said folded unit being receivable within said pan, said top closure having a neck receiving opening therethrough.

2. A portable foldable steam bath comprising a vertical cabinet defined by a rear wall, spaced apart side walls, a top closure and a front closure, a bottom panel having an upwardly directed peripheral flange, said panel defining a pan for receiving liquid condensate formed within said cabinet, means securing the bottom of said rear wall to said pan near the rear thereof, said means pivotally securing the rear wall to the pan for angular movement of the rear wall from an upright position to a generally horizontal position, mounting means securing each side panel to the rear wall, said mounting means pivotally supporting each of said side walls for angular movement from a position wherein the side walls are substantially perpendicular to said rear wall to a position wherein said side walls are substantially parallel to said rear wall, means securing said top closure to the rear wall for angular movement from a position wherein said top closure extends in a direction away from the rear wall to a position wherein said top closure is substantially parallel to said rear wall, the front closure being pivotally secured to the side walls for angular movement from a position wherein said front closure is substantially perpendicular to the side walls to a position wherein said front closure is substantially parallel to said side walls, said walls and closures thereby being secured to each other so that said cabinet can be folded into a compact folded unit wherein said walls and closures are substantially parallel to each other, said folded unit being receivable within said pan, said top closure having a neck receiving opening therethrough, means slidably supporting said side walls on said rear wall for sliding movement in a direction substantially parallel to said rear wall from a position wherein the bottom of the side walls rest on said pan to a position wherein the bottom of each of said side walls is spaced above said pan, said top closure being slidably supported for movement in a direction parallel to the movement of said side walls so that when said cabinet is folded into a compact folded unit, said side walls will be in the raised position to provide clearance at the bottom of said side walls to permit the rear wall to be pivoted into a generally horizontal position.

3. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 2 wherein the top closure includes a forward portion which is downwardly and forwardly inclined when said cabinet is in the unfolded position.

4. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 3 wherein the lateral edges of the top closure rest on the top edges of the side walls when the cabinet is in the unfolded position, the top edges of the side walls having forward portions which are forwardly and downwardly inclined.

5. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 4 wherein the top closure comprises two panels, hinge means securing said panels to each other, the panel to the rear of said hinge means having a generally semi-circular cut-out facing the other of said panels with the other of said panels having an opening facing the first of said panels, a closure plate slidably mounted on the other of said panels for at least partially closing said opening, said closure plate having a generally semi-circular cut-out therein facing said other cut-out, said cut-outs together defining the neck receiving opening, said other panel defining said downwardly and forwardly inclined portion of said top closure.

6. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 2 wherein the mounting means for securing the side walls to the rear wall slidably supports said rear wall, said mounting means comprising a hinge assembly including at least two spaced apart hinge plates secured to a side wall, a hinge plate secured to the rear wall and positioned intermediate the hinge plates on the side wall, the hinge plates on the side wall being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the hinge plate on the rear wall, each of said hinge plates having a hinge pin receiving opening therethrough, said openings being aligned, a hinge pin positioned through said openings in the hinge plates to provide for said pivotal movement of said side wall relative to the rear wall and for said sliding movement of said side wall relative to said rear wall.

7. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 6 wherein said hinge assembly is provided near the top and near the bottom of each side wall.

8. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 6 wherein said hinge pin in each assembly near the top of each side wall is provided with a horizontal portion and wherein the rear of said top closure is mounted on said horizontal portion of the hinge pin, each of said hinge pins being slidably mounted in the hinge plates secured to the rear wall so that upward sliding movement of said side walls will upwardly move said top closure.

9. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 8 wherein sealing means are provided to seal the joints between the side walls and the rear wall and the joint between the top closure and the rear wall.

10. A portable foldable steam bath as recited in claim 2 wherein said rear wall provides a cover for said pan when said cabinet is folded into said compact folded unit and positioned within said pan so that said pan and rear wall define a receptacle for the remaining elements of said cabinet.

11. A portable foldable steam bath comprising a vertical cabinet defined by a rear Wall, spaced apart side walls, a top closure and a front closure, :1 bottom panel having an upwardly directed peripheral flange, said panel defining a pan for receiving liquid condensate formed within said cabinet, means securing the bottom of said rear wall to said pan near the rear thereof, said means pivotally securing the rear wall to the pan for angular movement of the rear wall from an upright position to a generally horizontal position, mounting means securing each side panel to the rear wall, said mounting means pivotally supporting each of said side Walls for angular movement from a position wherein the side walls are substantially perpendicular to said rear wall to a position wherein said side walls are substantially parallel to said rear wall, the front closure being pivotally secured to the side walls for angular movement from a position wherein said front closure is substantially perpendicular to the side walls to a position wherein said front closure is substantially parallel to said side walls, said walls and closures thereby being secured to each other so that said cabinet can be folded into a compact folded unit wherein said walls and closures are substantially parallel to each other, said folded unit being receivable within said pan, said top closure having a neck receiving opening therethrough, means slidably supporting said side walls on said rear wall for sliding movement in a direction substantially parallel to said rear wall from a position wherein the bottom of said side walls rest on said pan to a position wherein the bottom of each of said side walls is spaced above said pan so that when said cabinet is folded into said compact folded unit, said side walls will be in the raised position to pro 13 14 vide clearance at the bottom of said side walls to permit 641,386 Hettrick Jan. 16, 1900 the rear wall to be pivoted into a generally horizontal 761,443 Buck May 31, 1904 position. 1,990,871 Klooke Feb. 12, 1935 2,508,970 Richardson May 23, 1950 References Cited In the file of this patent 5 2,648,409 Daugherty Aug. 11, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,453 Kirschner Feb, 17, 195

546,865 Robinson Sept. 24, 1895 

